Mayfair Dealer’s Tale: The Truth About Vintage Armchairs

My world has always been the shop floor, arm chairs for kitchen the showroom, the warehouse. In the heart of London, a sofa is never just a sofa. Designers with clients in tow, and they’re all searching for the same thing. A velvet seat with history, never fails to speak up. I remember selling a Chesterfield to a gentleman from St John’s Wood, traditional armchairs and ten years on it looked better than ever. That’s the Mayfair way. They fall for fashion too quickly, high-end living room sets but eventually they realise.

Fabric frays fast, whereas real furniture stays. This city speaks through its homes. Chelsea wants polish, with buttoned wingbacks. Brixton is bold, with loud armchairs. That’s the reality. Let me put it plainly, a sofa becomes family. Modern factory pieces can’t compete. I still sit to see how it feels, and I know straight away. Old furniture lives. Next time you flick through a catalogue, step back.

Pick up a retro armchair, and watch it age gracefully.